ScienceDaily: Spintronics News

Channel Description:

Latest Articles in this Channel:

07/29/10--11:11: Graphene exhibits bizarre new behavior well suited to electronic devices (chan 1848830)

Graphene, a sheet of pure carbon, has been touted as a possible replacement for silicon-based semiconductors because of its useful electronic properties. Now, physicists have shown that graphene has another unique and amazing property that could make it even more suitable for future electronic devices. When contorted in a specific way it sprouts nanobubbles in which electrons behave as if they are moving in a strong magnetic field.


08/09/10--14:15: Plastic computer memory device that utilizes electron spin to read and write data: Alternative to traditional semiconductors (chan 1848830)

Researchers have demonstrated the first plastic computer memory device that utilizes the spin of electrons to read and write data. An alternative to traditional microelectronics, so-called "spintronics" could store more data in less space, process data faster, and consume less power.


08/23/10--11:29: Scientists help explain graphene mystery (chan 1848830)

Nanoscale simulations and theoretical research are bringing scientists closer to realizing graphene's potential in electronic applications.


08/26/10--09:26: Prediction of intrinsic magnetism at silicon surfaces could lead to single-spin magnetoelectronics (chan 1848830)

The integration of single-spin magnetoelectronics into standard silicon technology may soon be possible, if experiments confirm a new theoretical prediction made by physicists.


09/08/10--10:22: Researchers hear puzzling new physics from graphene quartet's quantum harmonies (chan 1848830)

Using a one-of-a-kind instrument, researchers have discovered an unexpected and tantalizing set of energy levels in graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon with potentially revolutionary electronic properties, when the material is exposed to extremely low temperatures and extremely high magnetic fields.


09/15/10--13:25: New wave: Spin soliton could be a hit in cell phone communication (chan 1848830)

Researchers have found theoretical evidence of a new way to generate the high-frequency waves used in modern communication devices such as cell phones using exotic "soliton" waves in magnetism. The technique might enable wireless technology that would be more secure and resistant to interference than conventional devices.


09/27/10--07:53: Single electron reader opens path for quantum computing (chan 1848830)

A team led by engineers and physicists in Australia has developed one of the key building blocks needed to make a quantum computer using silicon: a "single electron reader."


09/27/10--14:50: Semiconductor could turn heat into computing power (chan 1848830)

Computers might one day recycle part of their own waste heat, using a semiconductor called gallium manganese arsenide. Researchers describe the detection of an effect that converts heat into a quantum mechanical phenomenon -- known as spin -- in a semiconductor.


10/14/10--08:13: Physicists pave the way for graphene-based spin computer; First to achieve 'tunneling spin injection' (chan 1848830)

Physicists have taken an important step forward in developing a "spin computer" by successfully achieving "tunneling spin injection" into graphene. In their experiments they found a dramatic increase in the efficiency of how spins were being injected by quantum tunneling across an insulator and into graphene. The first to demonstrate tunneling spin injection into graphene, the researchers now have world record values for spin injection efficiency into graphene.


10/14/10--12:47: Safeguarding data in future quantum computing: Physicists detect and control quantum states in diamond with light (chan 1848830)

Physicists have succeeded in combining laser light with trapped electrons to detect and control the electrons' fragile quantum state without erasing it. This is an important step toward using quantum physics to expand computing power and to communicate over long distances without the possibility of eavesdropping.


10/18/10--12:13: Unexpected magnetic order among titanium atoms discovered (chan 1848830)

Theoretical work has provided a key to understanding an unexpected magnetism between two dissimilar materials. The results have special significance for the design of future electronic devices for computations and telecommunications.


10/25/10--06:00: Trapping charged particles with laser light (chan 1848830)

Scientists have demonstrated the feasibility of optical trapping for ions, which may lead to a new kind of hybrid quantum systems.


10/26/10--08:18: Water could hold answer to graphene nanoelectronics (chan 1848830)

Researchers have developed a new method for using water to tune the band gap of the nanomaterial graphene, opening the door to new graphene-based transistors and nanoelectronics. By exposing a graphene film to humidity, researchers were able to create a band gap in graphene -- a critical prerequisite to creating graphene transistors.


11/17/10--11:14: Physicists demonstrate a four-fold quantum memory (chan 1848830)

Researchers have demonstrated quantum entanglement for a quantum state stored in four spatially distinct atomic memories.


12/08/10--10:00: Elusive spintronics success could lead to single chip for processing and memory (chan 1848830)

Researchers have shown that a magnetically polarized current can be manipulated by electric fields. This important discovery opens up the prospect of simultaneously processing and storing data on electrons held in the molecular structure of computer chips -- combining computer memory and processing power on the same chip.


12/16/10--11:25: A 'spin ratchet' paves the way for spin computers: New electronic structure for generating spin current (chan 1848830)

Scientists have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a ratchet concept to control the spin motion. In analogy to a ratchet wrench, which provides uniform rotation from oscillatory motion, such ratchets achieve directed spin transport in one direction, in the presence of an oscillating signal. Most important, this signal could be an oscillatory current that results from environmental charge noise; thus future devices based on this concept could function by gathering energy from the environment.


12/16/10--11:25: Computer memory takes a spin: Physicists read data after storing them in atomic nuclei for 112 seconds (chan 1848830)

Physicists have stored information for 112 seconds in what may become the world's tiniest computer memory: magnetic "spins" in the centers or nuclei of atoms. Then the physicists retrieved and read the data electronically -- a big step toward using the new kind of memory for both faster conventional and superfast "quantum" computers.


12/17/10--11:56: Electric current moves magnetic vortices: With the help of neutrons, physicists discover new ways to save data (chan 1848830)

One of the requirements to keep trends in computer technology on track -- to be ever faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient -- is faster writing and processing of data. New results could point the way to a solution. Physicists set a lattice of magnetic vortices in a material in motion using electric current almost a million times weaker than in earlier studies.


12/23/10--05:37: Better control of building blocks for quantum computer (chan 1848830)

Scientists in the Netherlands have succeeded in controlling the building blocks of a future super-fast quantum computer. They are now able to manipulate these building blocks (qubits) with electrical rather than magnetic fields, as has been the common practice up till now. They have also been able to embed these qubits into semiconductor nanowires.


12/23/10--11:40: First high-temp spin-field-effect transistor created (chan 1848830)

Physicists have announced a breakthrough that gives a new spin to semiconductor nanoelectronics and the world of information technology.


01/22/11--08:06: Ultrafast quantum computer closer: Ten billion bits of entanglement achieved in silicon (chan 1848830)

Scientists have made a significant step towards an ultrafast quantum computer by successfully generating 10 billion bits of quantum entanglement in silicon for the first time -- entanglement is the key ingredient that promises to make quantum computers far more powerful than conventional computing devices.


01/25/11--14:24: Graphene and 'spintronics' combo looks promising (chan 1848830)

A team of physicists in China has taken a big step toward the development of useful graphene spintronic devices.


02/14/11--11:23: Physicists isolate bound states in graphene-superconductor junctions (chan 1848830)

Researchers have documented the first observations of some unusual physics when two prominent electric materials are connected: superconductors and graphene. When sandwiched between superconductors, graphene can adopt superconducting capacity because paired electrons from the superconductor are translated to Andreev bound states (ABS) in the graphene. The researchers isolated and manipulated individual ABS by confining them to a graphene quantum dot, which could be used as a qubit for quantum computing.


02/14/11--11:23: Next-generation electronic devices: Conduction, surface states in topological insulator nanoribbons controlled (chan 1848830)

In recent years, topological insulators have become one of the hottest topics in physics. These new materials act as both insulators and conductors, with their interior preventing the flow of electrical currents while their edges or surfaces allow the movement of a charge. Perhaps most importantly, the surfaces of topological insulators enable the transport of spin-polarized electrons while preventing the "scattering" typically associated with power consumption, in which electrons deviate from their trajectory, resulting in dissipation. Because of such characteristics, these materials hold great potential for use in future transistors, memory devices and magnetic sensors that are highly energy efficient and require less power.


02/21/11--05:15: World's smallest magnetic field sensor: Researchers explore using organic molecules as electronic components (chan 1848830)

Further development of modern information technology requires computer capacities of increased efficiency at reasonable costs. In the past, integration density of the relevant electronic components was increased constantly. In continuation of this strategy, future components will have to reach the size of individual molecules. Researchers have now come closer to reaching this target.


03/02/11--10:18: New kinds of superconductivity? Physicists demonstrate coveted 'spin-orbit coupling' in atomic gases (chan 1848830)

Physicists have for the first time caused a gas of atoms to exhibit an important quantum phenomenon known as spin-orbit coupling. Their technique opens new possibilities for studying and better understanding fundamental physics and has potential applications to quantum computing, next-generation "spintronics" devices and even "atomtronic" devices built from ultracold atoms.


03/09/11--11:17: Physicists measure current-induced torque in nonvolatile magnetic memory devices (chan 1848830)

Tomorrow's nonvolatile memory devices -- computer memory that can retain stored information even when not powered -- will profoundly change electronics, and researchers have discovered a new way of measuring and optimizing their performance.


03/15/11--06:30: Room-temperature spintronic computers coming soon? Silicon spin transistors heat up and spins last longer (chan 1848830)

Researchers have built "spintronic" transistors and used them to align the magnetic "spins" of electrons for a record period of time in silicon chips at room temperature. The study is a step toward computers, phones and other spintronic devices that are faster and use less energy than their electronic counterparts.


03/17/11--06:33: Quantum pen for single atoms is a big step toward large-scale quantum computing (chan 1848830)

Physicists have succeeded in manipulating atoms individually in a lattice of light and in arranging them in arbitrary patterns. These results are an important step towards large-scale quantum computing and for the simulation of condensed matter systems.


03/21/11--13:19: Templated growth technique produces graphene nanoribbons with metallic properties (chan 1848830)

A new "templated growth" technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance. These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices made with conventional architectures -- and set the stage for a new generation of devices that take advantage of the quantum properties of electrons.


04/03/11--11:13: Self-cooling observed in graphene elctronics (chan 1848830)

With the first observation of thermoelectric effects at graphene contacts, researchers have found that graphene transistors have a nanoscale cooling effect that reduces their temperature. Using an AMF tip to measure temperature, they found that thermoelectric cooling effects can be stronger at graphene contacts than resistive heating, so graphene transistors are self-cooling.


04/05/11--09:32: Quantum mapmakers complete first voyage through spin liquid (chan 1848830)

Scientists have mapped a state of matter called 'quantum spin liquid', whose existence was proposed in the 1970s but which has only been observed recently.


04/13/11--09:09: Researchers advance toward hybrid spintronic computer chips (chan 1848830)

Researchers have created the first electronic circuit to merge traditional inorganic semiconductors with organic "spintronics" -- devices that utilize the spin of electrons to read, write and manipulate data. Scientists combined an inorganic semiconductor with a unique plastic material currently under development.


04/14/11--06:11: New way to control magnetic properties of graphene discovered (chan 1848830)

Researchers have discovered a way to control magnetic properties of graphene that could lead to powerful new applications in magnetic storage and magnetic random access memory.


04/14/11--11:14: New spin on graphene makes it magnetic (chan 1848830)

Scientists have found a way to make wonder material graphene magnetic, opening up a new range of opportunities for the world's thinnest material in the area of spintronics.


04/18/11--08:42: Graphene's varying conductivity levels pinpointed (chan 1848830)

Graphene is often touted as the latest "wonder material," and may be the electronics industry's next great hope for the creation of extremely fast electronic devices. Researchers have found one of the first roadblocks to utilizing graphene by proving that its conductivity decreases significantly when more than one layer is present.


04/18/11--10:55: Super-small transistor created: Artificial atom powered by single electrons (chan 1848830)

A single-electron transistor with a central component -- an island only 1.5 nanometers in diameter -- that operates with the addition of only one or two electrons has been developed. The transistor, named SketchSET, provides a building block for new, more powerful computer memories, advanced electronic materials, and the basic components of quantum computers that could solve problems so complex that all of the world's computers working together for billions of years could not crack them.


04/27/11--07:15: Good eggs: Nanomagnets offer food for thought about computer memories (chan 1848830)

Magnetics researchers colored lots of eggs recently. Bunnies might find the eggs a bit small, but these "eggcentric" nanomagnets have another practical use, suggesting strategies for making future low-power computer memories.


05/27/11--13:25: Chameleon magnets: Ability to switch magnets 'on' or 'off' could revolutionize computing (chan 1848830)

What causes a magnet to be a magnet, and how can we control a magnet's behavior? These are the questions that researchers have been exploring over many years.


06/10/11--07:26: Ultrathin copper-oxide layers behave like quantum spin liquid (chan 1848830)

Magnetic studies of ultrathin slabs of copper-oxide materials reveal that at very low temperatures, the thinnest, isolated layers lose their long-range magnetic order and instead behave like a "quantum spin liquid" -- a state of matter where the orientations of electron spins fluctuate wildly. This unexpected discovery may offer support for the idea that this novel condensed state of matter is a precursor to the emergence of high-temperature superconductivity -- the ability to carry current with no resistance.


06/21/11--14:35: Harnessing electron spin: Toward a new breed of computers that can process data using less power (chan 1848830)

Harnessing the magnetic moment, or spin, of electrons rather than their electric charge, physicists have achieved a breakthrough toward the development of a new breed of computing devices that can process data using less power.


06/28/11--10:26: Splitsville for boron nitride nanotubes (chan 1848830)

Researchers have developed a technique for mass-producing defect-free boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) of uniform length and thickness. BNNRs are predicted to display magnetic and electronic properties that hold enormous potential for future devices.


07/03/11--10:38: Important step in next generation of computing: Vital insight into spintronics (chan 1848830)

Scientists have taken one step closer to the next generation of computers. New research provides insight into spintronics, which has been hailed as the successor to the transistor.


08/11/11--11:13: Bilayer graphene: Another step towards graphene electronics (chan 1848830)

The Nobel Prize winning scientists Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov have taken a huge step forward in studying the wonder material graphene and revealing its exciting electronic properties for future electronic applications.


08/12/11--13:18: Searching for spin liquids: Much-sought exotic quantum state of matter can exist (chan 1848830)

The world economy is becoming ever more reliant on high tech electronics such as computers featuring fingernail-sized microprocessors crammed with billions of transistors. For progress to continue, for Moore's Law -- according to which the number of computer components crammed onto microchips doubles every two years, even as the size and cost of components halves -- to continue, new materials and new phenomena need to be discovered. Researchers have now discovered a "kaleidoscope" of phases, which represent the lowest-energy states that are allowed given the magnetic interactions.


08/15/11--08:36: Strain and spin may enable ultra-low-energy computing (chan 1848830)

A new type of integrated circuit may be so energy efficient that it could run simply by harvesting energy from the environment.


08/29/11--08:47: Communication via electron spin: Scientists propose new kind of information technology (chan 1848830)

Is it time for a communications paradigm shift? Scientists calculate that encoding and sending information via electron spin, instead of voltage changes, may mean tiny chips could transmit more information and consume less power.


09/06/11--11:40: Innovation is step toward digital graphene transistors (chan 1848830)

Researchers are making progress in creating digital transistors using a material called graphene, potentially sidestepping an obstacle thought to dramatically limit the material's use in computers and consumer electronics.


09/22/11--06:37: Like fish on waves, electrons go surfing (chan 1848830)

Physicists have succeeded in taking a decisive step towards the development of more powerful computers. They were able to define two little quantum dots (QDs), occupied with electrons, in a semiconductor and to select a single electron from one of them using a sound wave, and then to transport it to the neighboring QD.


10/04/11--09:36: Physicists move one step closer to quantum computer (chan 1848830)

Physicists have created a tiny "electron superhighway" that could one day be useful for building a quantum computer -- a new type of computer that will use quantum particles in place of the digital transistors found in today's microchips. Researchers now describe how to make a "topological insulator," a much-sought device that could help physicists create elusive pairs of quantum particles that are particularly useful for storing information.


10/18/11--06:23: Diamonds, silver and the quest for single photons (chan 1848830)

Building on earlier work showing how nanowires carved in impurity-laden diamond crystal can efficiently emit individual photons, researchers have developed a scalable manufacturing process to craft arrays of miniature, silver-plated-diamond posts that enable even greater photon control. The development supports efforts to create robust, room-temperature quantum computers by setting the stage for diamond-based microchips.


10/19/11--13:45: Key property of potential 'spintronic' material measured (chan 1848830)

An advanced material that could help bring about next-generation "spintronic" computers has revealed one of its fundamental secrets to a team of scientists.


10/28/11--05:19: Data transmission for the Internet of tomorrow: Scientists develop new concept for ultrafast lasers (chan 1848830)

Electrical engineers in Germany have succeeded in developing a new concept for ultrafast semiconductor lasers. The researchers make clever use of the intrinsic angular momentum of electrons, called spin, to successfully break the previous speed barriers. The new spin lasers have the potential to achieve modulation frequencies of well above 100 GHz in future. This is a decisive step towards high-speed data transmission, e.g. for the Internet of tomorrow.


11/02/11--13:12: Physicists identify room temperature quantum bits in widely used semiconductor (chan 1848830)

Physicists may have earned silicon carbide –– a semiconductor commonly used by the electronics industry –– a role at the center of a new generation of information technologies designed to exploit quantum physics for tasks such as ultrafast computing and nanoscale sensing.


11/21/11--11:24: Unearthing a new quantum state of matter: Quantum physics discoveries could change face of technology (chan 1848830)

Researchers have made advances in better understanding correlated quantum matter that could change technology as we know it, according to a new study.


01/09/12--18:15: Theory explains how new material could improve electronic shelf life (chan 1848830)

Engineers have discovered that the new material graphene conducts heat about 20 times faster than silicon, making it an option as a semiconductor material that could produce quieter and longer-lasting computers, cellphones and other devices.


01/17/12--11:52: Ten-second dance of electrons is step toward exotic new computers (chan 1848830)

Scientists have achieved a 100-fold increase in the ability to maintain control the spins of electrons in a solid material, a key step in the development of ultrafast quantum computers.


01/22/12--12:25: Cooling semiconductors by laser light (chan 1848830)

Researchers have combined two fields -- quantum physics and nano physics -- and this has led to the discovery of a new method for laser cooling semiconductor membranes. Semiconductors are vital components in many electronics, and the efficient cooling of components is important for future quantum computers and ultrasensitive sensors. The new cooling method works quite paradoxically by heating the material. Using lasers, researchers cooled membrane fluctuations to minus 269 degrees C.


02/01/12--07:28: Data storage: Magnetic memories (chan 1848830)

Magnetic random-access memory based on new spin transfer technology achieves higher storage density by packing multiple bits of data into each memory cell.


02/02/12--12:10: Graphene electronics moves into a third dimension (chan 1848830)

Wonder material graphene has been touted as the next silicon, with one major problem -- it is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now scientists have given its prospects a new lifeline. Scientists have now literally opened a third dimension in graphene research. Their research shows a transistor that may prove the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon.